Your Pie, an Athens, Georgia-based franchise specializing in build-your-own brick-oven pizzas, will soon be coming to Wilmington.
 
Ken Caldwell, vice president of development for Your Pie, announced that Jada O’Malley and Michael Baker have signed on as Wilmington-area franchisees and are currently seeking a location in the Port City.
 
Your Pie allows customers to create their own pizzas with hand-tossed dough and as many fresh toppings as they like, all for the same price. The handcrafted pizzas are delivered to the table in about five minutes.
 
“Your Pie fits the fast-casual format that consumers want – high-quality food, their way – quick and affordable,” Caldwell said.
 
Founded in 2008, Your Pie has 40 locations in 13 states and an additional 50 locations currently in development. The chain was named in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2016 Franchise 500 as a top 10 franchise opportunity.
 
According to Caldwell, Your Pie is targeting North Carolina as one of its newest markets for development. In addition to Wilmington, the company has signed for locations in Cary and Charlotte and is also targeting the Triad.
 
“We’d like 20-plus locations opening in the state of North Carolina over the next five years,” Caldwell said.
 
Local franchisee O’Malley said that the ability for everyone in the family to order exactly what they want is part of what attracted her to the business. She visited a Your Pie in Charleston, South Carolina, and after years of having to eat just cheese or pepperoni pizza because that’s all that her children would eat, she finally found a place where she could enjoy the veggie pizza she longed for.
 
“I just thought this was such a phenomenal idea and the direction that the pizza industry really needs to go,” O’Malley said. “We’re very excited to bring it to the Wilmington market.”
 
O’Malley said the biggest challenge so far has been in securing the right location. A typical unit is 2,400 to 2,800 square feet and seats about 75 people.
 
“Although we are still searching for the right location, we believe we are still on track to be open by the end of the summer,” O’Malley said.
 
In addition to handcrafted pizza, Your Pie also serves panini, salads, homemade gelato and craft beer and wine.

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